#ROWING: Paul O’Donovan gave Ireland a good start to the World Rowing Championships in Amsterdam today. The UCD lightweight single sculler qualified directly for the quarter-finals by finishing third in a heat, with four going through. China’s Zhao Jingbin set the early pace and O’Donovan was in fifth to halfway. But the Chinese faded while O’Donovan grew stronger: the Irishman passed him and Lukas Babac of Slovakia in the second half of the race. Pedro Fraga of Portugal won, with Perry Ward of Australia second.

World Rowing Championships, Amsterdam (Selected Results; Irish interest)

Men

Lightweight Single Sculls – Heat Two (First Four Directly to Quarter-Finals; rest to Repechage): 1 Portugal (P Fraga) 6:53.62, Australia (P Ward) 6:54.96, 3 Ireland (P O’Donovan) 6:57.65,4 China (Jingbin Zhao) 7:03.13; 5 Slovakia 7:04.81, 6 Quatar 9:52.93.

Sarah Dolan and Claire Lambe finished fourth in their heat of the lightweight double sculls at the World Under-23 Championships in Amsterdam and must compete in a repechage tomorrow. Austria, Germany and Canada headed the field through the race, with Germany taking over the lead in the second one thousand metres and going on to win. Austria took second. Dolan and Lambe put pressure on Canada in the closing stages but could not catch them.

World Under-23 Rowing Championships, Amsterdam, Day Two (Irish interest):

Men

Lightweight Single Scull – Heat Six (First Three to Quarter-Finals): 1 Germany (R Acht) 7:47.10, 2 Sweden (O Russberg) 7:53.46, 3 Ireland (J Mitchell) 7:59.95; 4 Chile 8:03.41

Women

Lightweight Double Scull – Heat Two (First Three Directly to A/B Semi-Finals; rest to repechage): 1 Germany 7: 34.87, 2 Austria 7:36.35, 3 Canada 7:38.95; 4 Ireland (S Dolan, C Lambe) 7:40.72, 5 Tunisia 8:32.32.